Buddhist Sri Lanka dedicates to animals being slaughtered for salvation
Posted on October 26th, 2012
Shenali Waduge
The logic behind killing animals as a sacrifice or otherwise is something Buddhists who understand the precepts of Lord Buddha cannot comprehend. As humans it is upto us to be the mouthpiece of the animals that have no choice.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The logic behind sacrifice is again a factor that baffles Buddhists. Sacrifice is certainly left to an individual to decide but can an individual decide to end the life of another and in this particular instance ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” that of an animal who can say neither no nor yes. Should not anyoneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s freedom or rights stop at the doorstep of harming the rights of another ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” even if that other is nothing but an animal?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is in this context that the Buddhist nation of Sri Lanka views the mass sacrifice of animals for religious salvation as a concept that Buddhist cannot understand and leads to shock as to why such practices continue to exist.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In ancient times the rulers of Buddhist nations followed to the core the precepts of Lord Buddha, in todayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s context it appears that donors rule the eventual votes that bring those to power.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the case of Buddhism too, what has passed down has been diluted versions of the teachings of Lord Buddha ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” it has to be so for various other religions as well. Which is why we continue to question how forcefully killing an animal can provide another any salvation?
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Though a Buddhist country, Sri Lanka cannot be accused of not tolerating other religions and minorities ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” in fact, it has always been the Buddhists that have had to sacrifice or compromise. It is not so where some religions are the outright majority where no tolerance or compromise is shown to any other religion but their own. The fairness of this is left to readers to decide.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Buddhists of Sri Lanka and the world over dedicate these thoughts to all the animals that become victims of religious torture purely to enable doors of salvation to be opened.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Rituals and customs are one thing killing as sacrifice is totally unacceptable.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
October 26th, 2012 at 3:44 pm
Thank you for bringing this up.
HAJ animal slaughter terrorism will happen on a Poya day. This is UNACCEPTABLE.
The 5 main evils facing SL.
1. 13A
2. Tamil Elam and their western backers.
3. Wahabism/Satanislam
4. Polygamy
5. Animal sacrifice and other BS by Indians and Saudis in SL.
October 26th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Can we all be sure that the Christian Church in all its manifestations lead by the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and their agents are not in this list of evils facing Sri Lanka?
October 26th, 2012 at 5:20 pm
In Arab countries if the Customs find a Buddhist statue it will be dashed on the floor. Good relations
with them is irrelevant! They are Islamic countries, that’s their respect towards other religions.
If Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country, there shouldn’t be any killing of animals, Period!
Meat has to be imported.
13th amendment should be replaced by prohibiting the animal killing in all forms in the
Constitution!
October 26th, 2012 at 6:35 pm
A DAMNING CONCOCTED LIE BY A TAMIL CATHOLIC PERVERT.
WHICH BUDDHIST TEMPLE SERVES BEEF AND CHICKEN FOR LUNCH. ? POX on him for making up such a ludicrous statement. The Law of Karma will take him on.
October 26th, 2012 at 8:36 pm
Shenali,
I agree with you on the broad concept of sacrificial animal slaughter, especially by the Hindus. However, the title to your presentation is quite misleading. Sri Lanka is not only Buddhist, but also Hindu, Muslim and Christian. Only the Muslims accept animal sacrifice as a core aspect of their religion. They have a right to practice their religion as laid down very clearly in the Holy Koran and the hadiths. The Christians take a sip of wine, as the ritualized, symbolic replacement for the blood Jesus Christ shed. The Buddhists in Sri Lanka have ritualized devil exorcising ceremonies- Thovil. Kattadiyas yet play an important role among Sinhala-Buddhists. The Hindus, who venerate the cow and many other animals and plants, also yet practice sacrificial animal slaughter, a likely left over from their ancient and barbaric past. Being a Hindu I strongly condemn this barbarism in the name of the God, whom we Hindus also define as love (Anbey Sivam).
I think it is not right for anyone to sit in judgement over other religions. Every religion as practiced today have aspects that can be questioned or condemned by those who believe in other religions. We see the dust in others eyes, while ignoring the wooden spike in our own festering eyes. However, this debate should come from within these religions.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
October 26th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
Raja Malli,
Shenali did not say “Sri Lanka is a Buddhist only country” she said “Buddhist Sri Lanka”.
Now you should take a deep breadth and ask yourself why you are not happy with that.
Then you will see whether it is worth to sacrifice thousands of human beings, just to stop Sinhala Buddhist calling “Buddhist SriLanka”. Then you will realise that you must give 70% Buddhist majority some respect.
In fact Colombo is a Muslim city to all unsuspecting tourist.
October 27th, 2012 at 1:16 am
I aired my view on this at an earlier dialogue. If an animal can talk would it ask ‘Are you taking my life for a sacrificial ritual or to consume my meat?’ He would never say ‘If it is for meat it’s ok but not for sacrifice please’ Everyone in this world is playing the blame game what is right for one is not right for another. The fact is both are not right.
About Sri Lanka being called a Buddhist country. Well that has been the case for thousands of years. Like Italy being Catholic or England being Protestant and Saudi being a Islamic country and India being a Hindu country. Every non Buddhist bastard wants Sri Lanka to be a Hindu, Catholic, Islam, Christian country. Let others have their own labels – we certainly will respect that and do not dispute it and we Sinha+hela people too need our country we built and OTHERS DESTROYED! to be labelled a Sinha+Hela Buddhist country. Sri Lanka IS NOT a Hindu, Muslim, Catholic, Christain country! If you don’t like our label get the HELL OUT OF OUR COUNTRY! . We entertained others for 1000s of years and will remain so respecting other faiths NOT these hypocritical bastards who give lip service to countries like Saudi Arabia where other faiths are not tolerated at all. Everyone expects us to tolerate every shit thrown at us and thats why I support Gotabaya to become the President of Sri Lanka to handle these bastards the right way.
October 27th, 2012 at 1:33 am
Shenali – please keep on writing to make people ‘think’ and expose their hypocrisy – people like myself get really depressed when nothing seems to work and give up writing. We need to appreciate what my good friend Dharmasiri Weerasinghe who is running this Journal does, as articles directed to the 3 idiots Sunday Observer, Island and Times never get published (of course short letters do). However they have enough newsprint to exploit women’s bodies to sell their newspapers. Lankaweb is a pressure release for most people who have no exposure to other media. We need to hit hard at 13A at every twist and turn (forum sorry for diversion) and force this out through this forum and eventually to get rid of the WHOLE CONSTITUTION of Sri Lanka and bring a deathblow to all these conspirators especially Colombons, some Catholics/Christains who attempt to control the show.
October 27th, 2012 at 4:01 am
Dham,
I am probably Raja Siya or atleast Raja Bappa in terms of age to you! Please note that ‘Buddhist Sri Lanka has a different connotation to ‘Sri Lankan Buddhists’. The former denotes an exclusivity that is inconsiderate of other religious groups.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
October 27th, 2012 at 6:47 am
OK. Raja Ayya,
As Sunil said what is wrong in saying “Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country” or “Thailand is a Buddhist country ?
It is a fact and you should be happy about it because unlike Moslem Saudi or Christian west, hinduism is well repected in Sri Lanka. Islam is not repected anywhere except those Moslem countries and Sri Lanka because it appears like a religion of killing, owing to misunderstanding by Moslems of Jihad.
October 27th, 2012 at 7:44 am
DOSTARA RAJANAREN !!! SRI LANKA IS A PREDOMINANTLTLY BUDDHIST COUNTRY, SO THERE IS NOTHING WRONG, SHENALI REFFERING TO SRI LANKA AS “” BUDDHIST SRI LANKA “” It appears that your powers of comprehension are wearing out being a Seeya. It does not connote dis-respect to any other relegion, period.
As Sunil says, ‘ England being protestant ‘ do you suggest that, your tamils in England can say, that is not right, there are Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics, Christians, Muslims etc to suit your ego ? DONT TALK STERCUS TAURI DOCTOR. Dont talk Stercus Tauri.
October 27th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Sunil Vijayapala. If an animal could talk it could speak about the difference between euthanasia and torture. Kosher, Halal and other ritualistic animal sacrifice causes maximum pain and the animal is traumatized as adults, children everybody watching laughs at us slowly dying and kicks it etc. Spanish bull fighting us equally bad as the spectators enjoy the animal being tortured. We might disagree with meat eating, but there is a difference between one bullet to the head by a trained person or a lethal injection causing instant death, don’t you think? Any sort of murder is not a good thing, but there is a degree of difference, and to pretend otherwise for political reasons is wrong.
October 27th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Dr Narendran, agreed, Sri Lanka is a multireligious country for centuries. However we must acknowledge Buddhism, although imported from the Indian subcontinent, is practiced by the majority and has a long historic association with the country and Buddhist kings never opposed the practice of other religions (unlike some Buddhists today). Rantapala, what the hell has Global Christian “evil” got to do with this article on animal sacrifice? You give Buddhism a bad name.
October 27th, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Voice123 – I wonder why sometime people hide behind ‘nicks’ in this elite form although thats their prerogative. I myself is a bit of a hypocrite, I am a pescatarian. I totally believe in stopping animal slaughter whether for sacrice or not and thats my view. And also SL state involving indistilling alcohol. 2 precepts gone and we call ourselves a Buddhist country.
October 28th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
Sacrificing animals for any religious purposes happened in the ancient times. It was done partly out of Ignorance and partly for the wealthier folk to feed the poorer people, with ‘religious’ blessings added on.
Animal sacrifice is not necessary now. It is an antiquated method to feed the poor. Cooked food can be easily distributed at any Hindu Kali Temple or Mosque without unnecessary gory scenes acted out for even children to watch. Human killings are just one move away from animal sacrifice.
The reasons why animals sacrifice should be removed should be explained to the followers at each Hindu Kali Temple or Mosque. If proper reasons are given, people will understand. Cooked food should be distributed with the joy of sharing food, and the names of the donors displayed for all to see. Thanks will be given from every receiving human Heart – as meant to be done, and both the Giver and the Receiver will feel blessed.